SOLAR
ECLIPSE SAFARI - 2001 June 21
Byron Soulsby
Canberra
Astronomical Society Incorporated
Abstract
Thirteen
intrepid expedition
members traveled to Zambia, in Africa to observe the total solar
eclipse South
of the centreline at a site near Mvuu. The site
details for Mvuu from Peter's GPS were19 km
from Mvuu, 075 degrees True (non-magnetic). At Latitude -15d 45.627m
[actual
reading at corner turnoff to Mvuu camping site was 15d 45m 28.74s] and
29d14.223m [29d 13m 52.74s]. The new USNO computed centreline for delta
t =
64.3 seconds, was 25 to 26 km North of our site, viz. we were 25 to 26
km South
of the new centreline. As a result, there were less Baily Beads seen
and
recorded on the video sound track on Tape 2 as our site was much closer
to the
new centreline than originally planned. My watch was 5 seconds FAST
when
compared to Peter's GPS time.
Instrumentation
Two
instruments mounted on a small
altitude-azimuth tripod were collimated by the use of sturdy brackets
as shown below
in the associated email message. The eclipse was observed using a Sony
TE511E
video camera with superimposed UT timing and audio recording, with the
imaging
undertaken without interruption for the complete eclipse from first to
fourth
contact. A two layer aluminised mylar solar filter was fitted on the
two times
Sony magnifying lens which was used before and after totality. During
totality
this filter was removed. All video imaging used manual focusing and
manual
exposure settings. In addition, a 400 mm focal length telephoto lens
and 20 mm
focal length orthoscopic eyepiece was used for direct viewing of Baily
Beads
before and after totality through a single layer of aluminised mylar
which was
also removed during the time of total eclipse.
A
digital camera was used in an
attempt to capture images from the 400 mm lens, but overexposure
problems were
encounter and the Ixus Cannon camera was unsuccessful.
Observations
The
video camera audio
recording was the primary source of capturing the Baily Beads observed
before
and after totality through the 400 mm telescope, as it had been proven
at the
1999 annular
solar eclipse in Geraldton Western Australia, that the video camera's
definition was not good enough to record the tiny points of light
produced by
the photosphere of the Sun when shining through the valleys of the
Moon.
Numerous beads were observed and the activity was recorded for later
analysis
by comparison with predictions from David Herald's Occult/Baily
Beads software using the
corrected GPS coordinates for our site near Mvuu.
Visual
observation of the Sun in
total eclipse was made through the 400mm telephoto lens and 20 mm
orthoscopic
eyepiece at around 30 times magnification. The image was crystal clear
and
three prominences were immediately seen at around 15 to 30 degrees
position
angle (PA), with a fourth very large prominence at 85 degrees PA
followed by a
fifth smaller prominence at 10 degrees PA. Filaments were not readily
observed
in the outer corona but were recorded on the video camera as shown in
the associated
images web page. This eclipse had far less emotional impact for me than
my
other successful solar eclipses seen in Indonesia and New Guinea.
Analysis
David
Herald's Occult/Baily
Beads software was used to produced
timing predictions for beads at the corrected Mvuu site location:
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Baily
Beads Observed by Byron Soulsby on 2001 June 21 from Mvuu, Zambia Africa |
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NEAREST |
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NEAREST |
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Time |
Observed
R |
Predicted
R |
Observed
L |
Predicted
L |
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R
cusp is WA 33 to 107 degrees |
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L
cusp is WA 107 to 145 degrees |
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13
h 08 m UT |
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7s |
formed |
07m
59s |
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22s |
forming |
08m
15s |
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29s |
breaking |
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38s |
very
noticeable |
08m
35s |
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42s |
very
strong bead |
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50s |
slowly
fading |
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53s |
gone |
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13
h 09 m UT |
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13s |
forming |
09m
08s |
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15s |
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forming |
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16s |
still
forming |
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33s |
broken |
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36s |
bead |
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39s |
starting
to break |
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25s |
bead |
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48s |
just
gone |
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58s |
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forming |
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13
h 10 m UT |
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01s |
forming |
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07s |
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breaking,
gone |
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23s |
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two
beads forming |
10m
24s |
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29s |
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another
bead, gone |
10m
29s |
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33s |
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another
bead, gone |
10m
33s |
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35s |
whole
string of 3 to 4 |
10m
35s |
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38s |
many
beads |
10m
38s |
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41s |
gone |
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44s |
big
beads |
10m
44s |
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48s |
gone |
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53s |
another
bead |
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56s |
Totality
for 3m 07s |
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Filters
OFF |
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13
h 11 m UT |
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45s |
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large
prominence |
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13
h 12 m UT |
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11s |
many
prominences 3 |
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23s |
one
more prominence |
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13
h 14 m UT |
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03s |
diamond
ring |
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Filters
ON |
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images
lost |
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Images
lost for 4 minutes |
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13
h 20 m UT |
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03s |
regained
images |
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